ii
made time to check the translation; moreover, he took a special interest in
the progress and the scholarly welfare of the author. Prof. R. Dor, with a
special trip, made himself available to discuss problematic passages. Profs.
Allworth, Cirtautas, Dankoff, Dunnell, Lord, Montgomery, Poppe and Pritsak
asked the necessary questions and pointed in the direction of solutions. D.
Barrett, M. Daly and H. Leich did not hesitate to don their dust-masks
before entering the stacks on my behalf, bringing otherwise unavailable or
unknown materials to my attention. S. Enders Wimbush always lent an eager
ear, allowed himself to be the sounding board. Thomas Allsen and Peter
Golden, with characteristic care and attention, and with their magisterial
command of sources, made certain that no undesirable loose-ends remain in
the text. I could probably carry on in this vein, but for fear of causing
embarrassment. Any remaining errors are due to my insistence.

During the years of 1983, 1984 and 1985, I received ORS Awards from the
Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of the Universities of the
United Kingdom. In 1984, a grant from the Society for Central Asian
Studies (Oxford), facilitated field research among the Kirghiz. As a 1986
Associate of the Summer Research Lab of the Russian and East European
Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, I have benefitted both
from the Center resources and the stimulating seminar discussions. Permanent
International Altaistic Conferences in Chicago, Valberberg, Venice and
Bloomington, Indiana were amicable and fertile grounds to further research
and discussion on the topic, in part with the hospitality extended by the
PIAC Secretariat. Six different Central Asian Conferences, held between 1982
and 1988, three at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in collaboration
with Association of Central Asian Studies (Wisconsin), two at the W.
Wilson Center-Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies of the
Smithsonian Institution (Washington . C.), one in Munich, with funds
conributed by the organizers towards the travel and maintenance of the
author, provided forums of discussion, public and private, and afforded
feedback from a conglomeration of scholars. The small but potent gatherings
of the Society for Central Asian Studies were of no less value. I was able
to maintain the momentum in the last phases as a Faculty Associate of the
Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University, as well as through
the functions of the Harvard Committee on Inner Asian and Altaic Studies. An
earlier version of this work was accepted by the University of Oxford in
partial fulfillment of the Faculty of Oriental Studies requirements towards
my D. Phil.

iii

There was no typist involved. The entire project, from its inception,
through its several dozen iterations, was done entirely on word-processing
computers. Along the way, I wore out two complete systems beyond repair.
Despite the frustrations inherent in such man-machine interactions, they
were of great help -- when they functioned. Consequently, if any typing
errors are discovered, I am partly responsible.

As for the structure and the contents of the work proper, I assume full
responsibility.